Article

Learning for Future Leaders

by Nellie Greely | SAPinsider

January 1, 2012

The quality of its leaders is an important part of a company's success. Leaders set the tone for their companies, provide guidance to their employees, and influence the way customers view the enterprise. That's why ASUG, in an attempt to help cultivate these leaders and enable them to maximize their inherent leadership skills, has launched Leadership 2.0, an online community and event-based initiative designed to provide a resource pool of knowledge and guidance for leaders.

Without sound, ethical, and effective leadership, a company cannot be successful. Leaders set the tone for their companies, provide guidance to their employees, and often act as the face of the company, influencing the very way customers view the enterprise.

Sometimes, however, it can seem that this type of leadership is in short supply. The problem is that those who possess leadership potential often lack the resources and support communities that they could use to improve their stewardship skills.

Hone Your Leadership Skills in the Leadership 2.0 Community

To help business leaders overcome these obstacles and maximize their inherent leadership skills, ASUG launched Leadership 2.0, an online community and event-based initiative designed to provide a resource pool of knowledge and guidance for leaders.

ASUG CEO Bridgette Chambers said of the initiative, “By bringing the right experts and resources together, Leadership 2.0 will enable participants to develop, nurture, and sustain the skills necessary for effective leadership and creation of a high-performance team culture within their own organizations.”

The online community, accessible at www.asugleadership2-0.com, provides articles and tips on issues like team building, team performance, and strategic thinking and execution. Leadership 2.0 also provides avenues for live dialogue, the first of which was held at the ASUG SAP BusinessObjects User Conference last fall. That event featured a panel of social media experts from the SAP ecosystem, who conducted an in-depth discussion about how to leverage social media to build leadership.

In fact, this focus on being able to build and work with teams is such a critical leadership facet that ASUG has structured the Leadership 2.0 initiative like a team. It is led by a team captain and facilitated by moderators who will encourage conversation and ensure that Leadership 2.0’s activities, events, and discussions are responsive to the community of participants.

The role of Leadership 2.0’s inaugural team captain is held by Lisa Leslie, a two-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion with the Los Angeles Sparks and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. Leslie brings her teamwork skills and success as an executive coach to Leadership 2.0. “I’m thrilled to serve as the ASUG Leadership 2.0 team captain,” said Leslie. “My goal will be supporting and fostering the energy and enthusiasm of the ASUG community.”

To ensure that the initiative remains focused on the unique leadership needs of the SAP ecosystem, the Leadership 2.0 team also includes influencers in the ASUG community, such as Greg Myers, Jamie Oswald, Jarret Pazahanick, Tammy Powlas, Karin Tillotson, and Mico Yuk, who are dedicated and active ASUG volunteers and leaders.

Motivate Your Leaders

With ASUG’s Leadership 2.0 as a motivational tool, leaders will no longer need to bear the weight of the business on their shoulders alone. As Chambers said, “Too often leaders are asked to lead without the tools they need. Leadership 2.0 is designed to help leaders maximize their skills and build a culture of leadership throughout the SAP ecosystem.”

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